JEREMIAH CHAPTER 7. A call to true repentance, JEREMIAH 7:1; and not, living in theft, murder, adultery, perjury, &c.. to trust in the outward worship and temple of God, by the example of Shiloh, JEREMIAH 7:8. The prophet is forbid to pray for them, JEREMIAH 7:16. Their idolatry, and its judgment, J... [ Continue Reading ]
STAND IN THE GATE, viz. the east gate, which was chiefly frequented; this being the public place of going out and coming in, and where the people were then wont to assemble, JEREMIAH 26:2,10; and he is said to _stand_, because he was to execute the office of a preacher, JEREMIAH 26:2, not of a judge... [ Continue Reading ]
AMEND YOUR WAYS AND YOUR DOINGS, i.e. mend your manners. Amending signifies both to turn from our evil works, and make our good better. I WILL CAUSE YOU TO DWELL IN THIS PLACE; you shall not go into captivity, implying that otherwise they should; he will continue their habitations to them from age t... [ Continue Reading ]
Because this was God's house, wherein he had promised to dwell, and that for ever, PSALMS 132:13,14, they flattered themselves that he could dwell no where else, and would not depart, and certainly would not suffer the Chaldeans to destroy this, and therefore that no evil could befall them, as they... [ Continue Reading ]
He tells them, it is not their vain confidence in their privileges, and boasting of the temple, but only their serious and thorough repentance in turning to God, both in point of piety and equity, that can secure them. BETWEEN A MAN AND HIS NEIGHBOUR, i.e. impartially among one another, between man... [ Continue Reading ]
Here they are cautioned against three sins that this people were generally addicted to, oppression, blood, and idolatry; and he instanceth in the worst of oppressions, viz. of such as God hath more especially taken into his immediate protection, because these are most void of help, and most obnoxiou... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN, i.e. upon this condition, that you will return unto me, then either I will establish and fix you in the land; or, as anciently read, _sachanti_ in _kal_, I will dwell, viz. amongst you in this place, otherwise not. IN THIS PLACE, viz. Judea, both in Jerusalem and the whole country, as the next... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD; take notice of it, and think of it seriously. YE TRUST IN LYING WORDS; either flattering yourselves with your own conceits, whereby, in your discourses, you strengthen one another; or depending upon the delusions of your false prophets, JEREMIAH 5:31, JEREMIAH 23:26,27; or rather, bolstering... [ Continue Reading ]
Here the prophet mentions divers of those sins in which they were notorious, they were _thieves, murderers, adulterers_, perjured _idolaters_, &c,:q.d. Can you think that this can be grateful unto me, or any whit advantageous to yourselves, to frequent my house, and yet retain these odious sins, as... [ Continue Reading ]
AND COME AND STAND BEFORE ME IN THIS HOUSE; in the temple; either as if they had done no such thing, like the whore, that wipes her mouth, and saith she hath done no wickedness, PROVERBS 30:20, noting their deep hypocrisy; or else that barely this would expiate for all their abominations, as if they... [ Continue Reading ]
ROBBERS, Heb. _breakers through_. The word is taken in a large notion for all sorts of plunderers, whether in house, EZEKIEL 7:22, or field, highway-men, DANIEL 11:14. Do yon look upon this house as a sanctuary and refuge for _robbers_ and _murderers_ ? do you esteem it so, and is it so in your eyes... [ Continue Reading ]
SHILOH; a place that did belong to the tribe of Ephraim, PSALMS 78:60, compare PSALMS 78:67; the situation whereof see JUDGES 21:19; and called _God's house_, as the temple is, 1 SAMUEL 1:3,7: he sends them hither for an example, which had the same privileges and holiness with the temple; not to go... [ Continue Reading ]
THESE WORKS; either the same, or as bad, or worse than they did at Shiloh; or particularly those mentioned JEREMIAH 7:9. RISING UP EARLY; a metaphor taken from persons that are diligent in their business, they use to rise up early: q.d. I did not only speak by my prophets, but they in my name used a... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE, because they have added this their obstinate refusing of all admonitions to the rest of their provocations, WILL I DO UNTO THIS HOUSE, viz. cause the consecrated things of the temple to be taken away by the hand of the Babylonians. _The place_, see JEREMIAH 7:7, which I gave to you, viz.... [ Continue Reading ]
You shall have my presence with and watchful eye over you no more, but I will send you into captivity to Babylon. as I did your brethren into Assyria. See on 2 KINGS 17:6,18. And he terms them here BRETHREN, to let them know that they and Israel proceeded from the same stock, and therefore had no re... [ Continue Reading ]
God forbids his prophets to pray for them in any kind by any cry or intercession; or, _running upon me_, which shows that God is resolved to root them out, seeing he will admit of no intercession; according as he charged Moses, EXODUS 32:10, and the like JEREMIAH 11:14. For God had been wont to suff... [ Continue Reading ]
q.d. How canst thou pass along the streets but thou must needs be an eye witness of their abominations, to thy no small trouble and sorrow? as Sodom was to Lot, 2 PETER 2:8; therefore how canst thou plead with me on their behalf? How canst thou either pray for them, or I pity them? IN THE CITIES OF... [ Continue Reading ]
Here God shows how busily they are employed from the youngest to the oldest, and how industrious for their idolatry, JEREMIAH 44:1; see MATTHEW 24:38; every one in the family doth somewhat towards it. THE CHILDREN GATHER WOOD, or sticks; for the word is plural, and so used NUMBERS 15:32,33; an emplo... [ Continue Reading ]
Do they think to grieve me, and trouble my mind? They are deceived, I am without passion, and can be without their offerings. Will not they themselves feel the smart of it? JEREMIAH 7:6. Will they not procure anger to themselves, as an arrow falls on the head of him that shoots? 1 CORINTHIANS 10:22:... [ Continue Reading ]
MINE ANGER; put for his _revenge_, by a metonymy of the cause for the effect. MY FURY: this expresseth his anger boiled up to the height, JEREMIAH 4:4. POURED OUT; a metaphor taken from violent rains; see JEREMIAH 6:11; and may in particular allude to those showers of fire that were poured out upon... [ Continue Reading ]
The ironical words of one that seems to be in a great rage: Take those that are peculiar, and to be all burnt to me, LEVITICUS 1:9, and put them to your own of what kind soever; eat them, and do what you will with them, I will have none of them; take it all and fill your own bellies, for you sacrifi... [ Continue Reading ]
Some would argue from hence that sacrifices were at first an invention of men, as papists and Socinians; and because they should not be used to idols, God gave way for the introducing them into his worship; but it is evident in Scripture that they have been of Divine institution ever since Adam, GEN... [ Continue Reading ]
THIS THING, or word, which is the rule by which all obedience is to be tried, viz. what commands, every thing else being but mere superstition. THAT IT MAY BE WELL UNTO YOU: he shows what would be the good effect of their obedience, EXODUS 15:26 DEUTERONOMY 5:29,33, which implies that their sufferin... [ Continue Reading ]
NOR INCLINED THEIR EAR: it notes something of a higher degree of non-attention than bare not hearkening, viz. their not listening that they might obey what they hear, JEREMIAH 7:26, JEREMIAH 11:8, noting not only their slightness, but their stiffness. THE IMAGINATION, or _stubbornness_. See JEREMIAH... [ Continue Reading ]
God seems to upbraid them with their stock, they came of a perverse kind, their very fathers were so before them, and they have continued in their perverseness, NEHEMIAH 9:16,17; they did not now begin to be rebellious, but it had been their practice all along; never ceasing from the time their fath... [ Continue Reading ]
Their fathers had done bad enough, but they were so far from reforming, that they did worse than their fathers, JUDGES 2:19, JEREMIAH 9:3; and whereas he had said before _your_ fathers, now changing the person he saith THEIR fathers, as it were in great displeasure turning away from them to the prop... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE THOU SHALT SPEAK ALL THESE WORDS UNTO THEM, viz. revive upon them all that thou hast been speaking to them from me these forty years and upwards. Whereby God shows that there is nothing wanting on his part; for notwithstanding all their perverseness, yet he still warns them by his prophet,... [ Continue Reading ]
THIS IS A NATION THAT OBEYETH NOT THE VOICE OF THE LORD THEIR GOD; spoke in a way of contempt: q.d. A nation more than heathenish; though they profess themselves a peculiar people to me, yet to be numbered among the Gentiles. NOR RECEIVETH CORRECTION, i.e. answer not the ends of correction, viz. to... [ Continue Reading ]
CUT OFF THINE HAIR; it was a usual token of sorrow among the Jews to cut off the hair, JOB 1:20 ISAIAH 15:2 MICAH 1:16. But here he speaketh either, 1. To Jeremiah; for O JERUSALEM is not in the text; or, 2. To the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and so speaks to them as a woman, whose hair is for an or... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CHILDREN OF JUDAH; either Judah's posterity, JOSHUA 14:6, or Judah's inhabitants, which are often called _their children_; so JER 2 16. _In my sight_, i.e. though they will not see it, yet I see it, and they shall know that it is in my sight, i.e. that it displeaseth me. THEY HAVE SET THEIR ABOM... [ Continue Reading ]
HIGH PLACES OF TOPHET; SEE POOLE ON "ISAIAH 30:33". It comes from _Toph_, that signifies a _drum_, because they did beat drums to hinder the noise of their children's screeches, when they burnt them in sacrifice upon the altars, called here, _high places_, to Moloch, which is also called Melchom. WH... [ Continue Reading ]
IT SHALL NO MORE BE CALLED TOPHET, NOR THE VALLEY OF THE SON OF HINNOM: they were called so after this, and are known by those names to this day; but the meaning is, they shall acquire a name from another occasion, that shall suit them as well, viz. for the great slaughter that shall be made there,... [ Continue Reading ]
The _birds_ and _beasts of prey_ shall feed on them, being exposed to open view for want of interment, JEREMIAH 19:7, AND NONE SHALL FRAY THEM AWAY; (a piece of humanity that even nature itself teacheth;) either by reason of the enemy's presence, for fear of whom they durst not; or rather, because t... [ Continue Reading ]
All kind and degrees of mirth shall cease, REVELATION 18:23, all places shall be filled with lamentations and woe; their singing shall be turned into sighing; they shall lay aside all things that are for the comfort of Human society, which is to be understood in this expression. FOR THE LAND SHALL B... [ Continue Reading ]